The anti-ISIS offensive north of Tikrit continues to gather momentum as ISF units advance along the highway towards Baiji, clearing several villages despite heavy clashes with ISIS fighters and large concentrations of IEDs.

ISIS is advancing in Anbar and threatening Baghdad from the west, and U.S. airstrikes have not blunted their advance into key cities such as Ramadi. As of October 7, ISIS controls most of the territory between Qaim on the Syrian border and Abu Ghraib, only 40 km from Baghdad. ISIS has conducted a sophisticated campaign in Anbar Province over the past four weeks in order to capture additional cities in the Euphrates River Valley.